


Going off script

by ShadeDuelist



Series: Shade in Undertail: The Undertale Sinful Timelines Collection [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underswap, Ectoplasm, First Time, M/M, Other, Recreational Drug Use, Shyness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-24
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2018-05-15 22:19:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5802289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadeDuelist/pseuds/ShadeDuelist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(The first of the Trifecta of Underswap sins I promised on Tumblr!)</p><p>Papyrus likes to relax and smoke a little pot sometimes, but Sans doesn't like that much.  So he goes off to walk off his high in Waterfall, where he stumbles upon a shy little pink ghost practicing lines for an audition.  They get to talking, and Papyrus offers help.  And he can't help that little Mettablook groaning out 'I love you' is so hot to him!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Going off script

“ohh man, that is some quality stuff…”, Papyrus said, inhaling deeply and allowing the smoke of the last of the joint to be absorbed by his magic, sending its dizzying active ingredients straight to his head. “oh, woooooow… w-what time is it even?” A quick glance at the clock revealed that it was ten past six. That’s when the slightest bit of worry set in. “s- damn… sansy’s gonna be home soon… and he doesn’t like it when i space out… oh man, i don’t need him going into dad mode on me today…”, the tall skeleton said, weighing his options. Staying would mean getting firmly berated for what felt like the millionth time by his smaller but older brother for being ‘irresponsible’ and ‘addicted’; so he’d go. That felt like the best option, at any rate: walking off the high, maybe grabbing a bite to eat at Miss Muffet’s to quell his sudden appetite… After a good brisk walk in the cold of Snowdin Forest, he’d probably look presentable again, too. But then he caught himself and shook his head. Snowdin Forest was where his brother patrolled, so he couldn’t go there. If he met his brother on the way… “man… guess i’m goin’ to waterfall then…”, he said to himself with a grin, putting his sweater back on and jumping out the window to land in the snow behind the house. He made his way to the edge of the snowfields and from there to the Quiet Marshes, where the echo flowers were the only witnesses to his weed-fuelled horrible wordplays. Walking past the gently whispering flowers gave his buzzing mind a little bit of ease back, and it made him oblivious to the fact that one of the whispers didn’t sound like the usual hollow sound of the flowers, until…

“O-oh… s-sorry, d-darling… I mean sir...” Looking around, Papyrus found a pink translucent form floating near one of the echo flowers, blushing bright enough to give the petals of the silver plant a nicer hue. “I’ll j-just… go…”

“hey, you don’t gotta go, li’l spookie…”, Papyrus said mellowly, grinning. “especially not since i’m the one intruding on you here. but do you mind if i... chill out for a few here?”

“I g-guess not… oh… s-sorry… it’s not that I d-don’t like the company…”, the ghost said apologetically, prompting a more sincerely encouraging grin and softer, more warm words from the tall skeleton.

“you don’t have to explain, man… ‘sides, it’s nice hangin’ with someone, beats sittin’ in complete silence around here, don’t you agree?”

“I… y-yeah, I guess…”, the ghost said, refusing eye contact and looking away, at the echo flower and then at a sheaf of papers they had in their hands. Silence reigned for a few moments, billowing slightly uncomfortably, and when Papyrus sighed, the ghost started, blushing even more and looking at the ground. “I-I’m so s-so-sorry… I don’t know w-what to talk about…”

“heh, ‘s okay… let’s start with introducin’ ourselves, huh? hi, i’m papyrus - paps for short. i live in snowdin with my big bro, sansy - or, uh, ‘the magnificent sans’ as he likes to call himself. you?”

“I’m M-mettablook… I live… or, I used to l-live… with m-my cousin… b-but then they… started hanging out w-with that scientist lady… a-and they… moved away…”, the ghost admitted, sighing deeply: silence followed again for a few moments until Mettablook blushed and turned to look at a point slightly to the right of Papyrus’ face. “...S-so, uh, P-pap-papyrus… w-what brings you from S-snowdin to Wa-waterfall?”

“eh…” Somehow, Papyrus didn’t want to say ‘weed’ outright, but then he looked at the little ghost and reconsidered. “...weed.”

“W-what’s that?”, they asked, eyes wide and expression one of confusion, and Papyrus grinned. The pink ghost, sparkling with a blush, looked so uptight and tense… wouldn’t it be his duty to enlighten them? Smiling, he took his last joint out of the pockets of his sweater, showing it to the ghost, who looked at it from all angles and then looked back at him. “T-that h-hardly seems like a re-reason for such a _long w-walk_ …”

“nnn, hardly… you see, this stuff is _special_ … you light it…” He patted his pockets for his lighter but then groaned. “ah, dammit, forgot it at home-” Suddenly, a small spark shot from the ghost’s forehead, igniting the tightly-wound tip of the joint: Papyrus pressed it between his teeth and inhaled, allowing the smoke to swirl around in his skull before allowing his magic to absorb it, holding out the joint to the ghost. “you just… inhale…”

“G-ghosts don’t need… b-but okay, I… y-you’re kind to offer so… I’ll try…”, Mettablook stammered, allowing Papyrus to hold out the joint to them and then closing a dainty ghostly hand around his while the ghost ingested the smoke and absorbed it right off the bat, sending them into a frenzy of coughs and spluttering words the next second. “U-ugh… *cough cough* o-oh my… oh w-wow… i-is it supposed to… make me feel a l-little light-headed?”

“heh, yeah… mm, okay, now it’s my turn again…” Papyrus took the joint back to his teeth and took another pull, grinning as he exhaled some smoke again. “...mmm, good stuff, good stuff… how’re you likin’ it, metta?”

“I… I d-don’t know…”, the ghost admitted, sounding shy but still moving in for another puff more eagerly, and this time they didn’t cough and splutter anymore, allowing their magic to absorb the smoke more slowly. The two sat like that in silence, smoking the joint one puff at a time, until Papyrus crushed the last remnants of it under his heel and Mettablook smiled giddily. “...oh, m-my! I feel… s-so dizzy… s-so… like nothing in the wo-world can hit me…!”, they spoke happily, prompting Papyrus to pat the monster on the back - or at least allowing his hand to mimic the gesture, he was unsure whether his ghostly buddy felt it. They were… charming, he found, in a refreshing way. His heart warmed to the thought, and it lended his voice some added cheer as he spoke in reply.

“heh, that’s the idea, my friend… so, think now you can tell me why _you_ ’re here?”

“W-wait, you didn’t… you said you c-came here because of this ‘weed’, but is it because it makes you… f-feel like you should walk around? It d-doesn’t have that effect on me, d-darl- I mean, P-papyrus.” Papyrus grinned at that, motioning airily before turning to the matter at hand and formulating an answer to the questions the ghost had fielded.

“yeah, no, the weed itself isn’t the problem, it’s my brother sans. he doesn’t like me smoking it, says it’s bad for me. it’s not, really, but it can be addictive and my brother thinks i can’t go without it if i smoke too much. and i really don’t want him going into dad mode on me today.”, the skeleton admitted, grinning when they laughed a little.

“Oh… s-so that’s why… Your brother must, uhh, c-care a lot about you…” The pink-tinged ghost sighed and floated upward a little, probably to hide their sudden crestfallen expression from Papyrus, though it was just about as effective as when they wouldn’t have done so. “Y-you can k-know why _I_ came he-here, too… darl- I mean, Papyrus… o-oh, it’s just… so _embarrassing!_...I-I’m here to p-practice…”

“practice, huh? what you practicin’? if it’s being shy, you’re already spot on there.”, Papyrus said lightly, unsurprised when the ghost giggled and shimmered a little brighter in the twilight of Waterfall. “no, but seriously…”

“I’m practicing lines f-for an audition… I w-would love to one day b-be a famous t-te-television star… b-but I s-st-still need to practice s-so much… A-and I always g-get shy when…” Now the ghost whimpered miserably, turning fully away from Papyrus as tears welled up in their ghostly eyes. “Ooohhhh, I c-can’t help it… S-shyren is m-maybe right… M-maybe I don’t have what it t-takes...”

“hey now, buddy, don’t put yourself down like that, ‘kay?”, Papyrus said softly, patting the ghost on the head, grinning when his hand passed through their body and caused a soft shudder from them. “look, i don’t even need to see you in action to know that! dedication and passion are what it takes to make dreams come true, and you’ve got those in spades! ...tell ya what, metta, i’ll be your agent, just to show you i’m sure you can do it! and you don’t have to listen to any other monster unless your agent says it’s important, okay? what’s anyone else even know about being a big television star, anyway?” Then, seeing the ghost look at him, Papyrus’ expression of worry split into a broad, kind grin that he usually reserved for Sans’ off days. His brother would be a lot better at cheering the ghost on, he was certain, but now his own awkward encouragement would have to do. “hey, metta, you can do it, i’m sure. you just need the right crowd around ya! ...whaddya say to me bein’ your agent, huh?”

“M-my agent? I… s-sure… h-heh, heh… I guess I can u-use someone to help me… ...Ohh, I’m still a bit d-dizzy… but I need to practice these lines… t-they’re for… uhm… a s-soap opera…” The ghost looked at Papyrus a little hopefully, blushing a little more fiercely but remaining quiet for a full minute before finally managing to speak his question, and even then it was only in a whisper. “ _D-do you… w-would you… help m-m-me p-practice?”_

“help ya practice?”, Papyrus repeated, considering for a split second, which of course sent the ghost into a frenzy of apologies and taking back their offer.

“O-oh, I… I d-didn’t mean to… burden you o-or anything…! I c-can… I’ll j-just-”

“metta, don’t run off, man, i’d _love_ to help you practice your lines. heh, you really are a shy one, aren’t ya? ...okay, let’s see that script…”, Papyrus said as he held out his hand, smiling broadly and invitingly at the ghost, which caused them to glimmer and hand over the sheaf of papers to Papyrus. The skeleton half expected there to be pink glitter all over the script, as though the ghostly hands somehow were made up of that sparkly substance, but they were clean though slightly dog-eared in places. Smiling, he skimmed the page that was opened and then spoke questioningly to his friend of the moment. “...this scene? ‘tony confesses to russell’?”

“O-oh, yes… I… I n-need to practice Tony’s l-lines… s-so you… you r-read Russell’s lines t-to me, okay?” When Papyrus meant to speak up and ask his new little friend whether they wouldn’t need the script as well, the pink frilly ghost shook their head pre-emptively. “O-oh, n-no… m-my friend S-shyren, w-who’s a background s-singer for Napstaton… S-she says I s-should learn a-all of t-the lines I w-want to do by h-heart… a-and to let them… s-sink in… I t-try that e-every time-”

“hey, metta, no worries, okay? as your agent, i say you can practice any way you feel most comfy with. ‘sides, if ya already know ‘em by heart, that makes it easier…” He chuckled and cleared his throat, winking at the ghost before speaking in a grave voice. “...hey, tony, what’s the matter? you look outta sorts.” For a second, it was quiet, and then Mettablook spoke softly, turning their head away.

“I… d-don’t think you understand what’s b-bothering me, Russell… I don’t t-think you e-ever will…” The stammer wasn’t required in the script, but Papyrus didn’t remark on it, since the scene did look like it called for serious hesitation on the part of ‘Tony’. Mentally chuckling, he wondered whether going for an unassuming role wouldn’t be a great gateway for Mettablook to achieve their dream of becoming a television star: it’d build confidence and make the pink spectral monster more comfortable with the demands of an acting job. “ _I-it’s your line now, i-isn’t it?_ ”, the ghost whispered, alerting Papyrus to the fact that he’d been lost in thought a little longer than he’d thought, and he grinned before speaking the next line.

“maybe so, tony, but if you don’t tell me, i’ll never understand, and that’s a fact. ...c’mon, tell me what’s eatin’ you up from the inside out.”

“I-it’s…” Now the script called for Mettablook to look away and blush, which the ghost managed without any effort, lending a sort of natural ease to their next line: “I-it’s nothing… Russell, please, f-forget about it.”

“how can i forget about it if my best friend’s hurtin’?”, Papyrus said, checking the script before sweeping an arm around the ghost’s incorporeal form, half-expecting it to sink through him but finding that he did manage to pull Mettablook against him. The contact between the transparent body and his own ribs and his metacarpals was warm and calming in a way: it was like dipping his bones into something scintillating and fresh that heated to the touch. Papyrus’ still-hazy mind further eased him into the embrace as he spoke his next line in a lower tone: “...come on, tony… we’re friends, right? we swore back when we met in college that we’d never have secrets…”

“B-but, Russell… this… I can’t tell you this… oh…” The script said nothing about the whimper, let alone about the pained quality it had, but to Papyrus it all fit so wonderfully well. This little ghost was a natural born actor, truly - crippled by shyness, yes, and stammering profusely on each line, but with clear grace and eloquence, and a command of an array of emotions that would make even Napstaton eager to write songs about… “Oh, Russell, p-please don’t ask… please…”

“uhh…” Papyrus lost his train of thoughts for a moment, quickly checking the script again to get his line and settle his mind. He felt… swept up by the ghost’s performance, even when he was just rehearsing lines. “...tony, you know i can’t let this go, it’s clearly a big deal to ya… tell me what it is… i promise i’ll never judge you…”

“R-russell…. okay then…” The ghost inhaled, just as the script called for - and once again, it didn’t feel unnatural even if they’d just admitted they didn’t need to breathe - and then blurted it out. “I c-couldn’t even hide it anymore e-even if I wanted to… _ohh, I love you, Russell!_ ” Papyrus shuddered: the way the ghost spoke those words was beyond sultry - not shy at all, for one, or not any _wrong_ kind of shy at least, and spoken in a kind of breathless and desperate voice that just made you _believe_ those words. All in all, Papyrus couldn’t help but start. Then, the next thing he knew, Mettablook fiercely turned in his embrace and kissed him on the teeth, the touch of their incorporeal body feeling boiling hot all of a sudden. When they pulled away again, Papyrus blushed a bright blue, and Mettablook suddenly started stammering apologies. “O-oh no… I d-didn’t… I forgot… s-sorry… you m-must re-really hate me n-now… I’ll j-just go… lay on m-my bed and f-feel like glittery trash…” The ghost floated off a few feet, but Papyrus didn’t let them get away with such an abrupt departure: he closed his bony hand around Mettablook’s ghostly one and pulled the spectral monster back to face him.

“don’t beat yourself up over it, you did amazin’! h-heh...”, Papyrus chuckled, feeling more than a little shy about speaking up about the kiss, but then blurting out thoughtlessly: “...man, you groanin’ out ‘i love you’ was kinda _fuckin’ sexy_ , metta.”

“I-I… r-really?”, the ghost asked.

“yeah… makes a guy think how great of an actor ya are. the way you spoke, the way you just grabbed me and kissed me… for a second, it was almost like i _was_ russell - lucky bastard… but i bet you’re used to kissin’ random dudes by now, huh?”

“O-oh… y-yes, I… _uhh_ , I m-mean _no!_ I w-would n-ne-never k-kiss random guys!”

“so it’s just _me_ you wanted to shove yourself up against all hot-like, huh?”, Papyrus teased, causing a vibrant pink blush to erupt on the ghost’s cheeks and making them unable to hold the skeleton’s gaze, which only fuelled Papyrus’ desire to gently rib the ghastly monster. “i’m flattered, metta - so _decisive_ , buddy… but if you want me, you’re gonna have to do more than just kiss me _once_.”

“K-kiss you _twice_?” It was only when the ghost spoke up that Papyrus realized that Mettablook’s kiss had been a genuine one - and after an initial heartbeat of wanting to backpedal and say that he hadn’t meant to tease them about it, the skeletal monster realized with startling clarity that he’d enjoyed that kiss just the same as his new friend. “...O-oh, I s-shouldn’t… just, uhhm, f-forget I s-said a-any-anything- _u-uh-mmm…!_ ” Papyrus pulled Mettablook against him and, with no hesitation whatsoever, kissed the light ghost by pressing his teeth against their pink form right where their mouth was, allowing his magic to eagerly caress their form. When Mettablook once again groaned, this time inarticulately, and relaxed in his hold while kissing back, Papyrus found a different kind of high take over his system. His head spun so badly that he _had_ to pull away to gather his senses again.

“ _god, that is so hot…_ mmm, metta… damn, you’re _really_ rilin’ me-”

“I-I… d-don’t know what… b-but Papyrus, _p-please_ , I… w-would li-like to k-k-kiss you some m-more!!”, the ghost spoke with a shaky voice that again held that sense of urgency, and Papyrus grinned before leaning in again. Mettablook seemed to melt against him like candle wax, their ethereal body drizzling over his bones in a kind of warmth that was impossible to _not_ long for, and their kiss… it was like nothing else Papyrus had ever experienced: hot and longing, more like a _sensation_ than an actual contact between lips and teeth. An _amazing_ sensation, no less: once again, he had to detach himself from Mettablook’s eager embrace - because that was what the melting warmth had to be - to speak in a breathy whisper to the ghost.

“metta… maybe we should continue this someplace more, uh, private than a li’l marsh off the beaten path, huh? someplace where we can, uh, _really_ go off script with this…”, he said, airily motioning for the script that he still held, prompting a shy giggle from the ghost before they nodded.

“Y-ye-yeah… o-of course… uh, m-my house is… uh… r-right over th-there… n-next to doctor U-undyne’s lab… Uh… I’ll… t-the bird w-will… h-help you across…”, they said softly, pulling Papyrus’ hand as he floated on towards a small outcropping in the marsh across from which a yellow bird sat looking at the scenery. Mettablook exchanged a few whispers with the bird, who then nodded and flew up to him, gently grabbing his hoodie with its talons and flying him across the surface of the water without any problems. Once he was across, Mettablook’s hand found his again and Papyrus found them pulling him along to a set of two houses on the outskirts of the clearing across the marshes, one of which looked a dull greyish-blue and the other, which was clearly the one that Mettablook wanted him to go to, a pastel near-white shade of pink with curtains the color of rock candy, glittering with sequins. The interior of the house felt just as over-the-top, but Papyrus really didn’t care about that: as soon as he and Mettablook were both inside, he turned to the ghost with a broad grin, pulling the small spectre against himself again and kissing them again, his magic very deliberately caressing their slight and transparent form. The reaction from Mettablook was another lengthy groan that had Papyrus feel like his bones were turning into jelly on him, followed by a wave of warmth seeping into his bones, first hitting his clavicle and dripping from rib to rib and down onto the edge of his pelvis, running down his leg… when he pulled apart from them again, feeling light-headed in record time, he noticed why the warmth seemed to be dripping: Mettablook’s magic was turning them tangible and slightly liquid-like, and the sensation he had was indicative of that. Instead of a seethrough pink body, the ghost started to look more like an actual monster: a hot pink - pun definitely intended, Papyrus added lazily as a mental note to himself, because Mettablook certainly made him long for them - vaguely ghost-shaped monster with bright pink pseudo-hair and eyes glowing like stars… eyes that didn’t leave him for a second while the slight monster spoke.

“P-papyrus, I… c-can we k-kiss so-some more now? I d-don’t want to stop, d-darling…”

“heh, don’t wanna stop either, metta… _mmm, babe…_ ”, he whispered before kissing Mettablook again, reveling in the sensation of Mettablook’s now-glittering pink body pressing against his bones and the feel of the magic they exuded now steadily dripping down his form from jawbone to legs…

“O-oh… _ohhh, P-papyrus…!_ ”, the ghost whimpered feebly, though there was nothing at all indecisive about the way it gently prodded Papyrus with its slightly more corporeal form towards the pink bed with the sequined throw pillows and the deep pink sheets. It felt incredibly diva-like, all of it, but there was also an element of… disrepair to all of it, bringing it down to normalcy again. The throw pillows had once been _covered_ in sequins, but there were now patches where the fabric underneath poked through; and the bedsheet, though beautiful and vibrant in color, had some holes in it. The pillow, however, was brand new, as was the television. It was that element of disrepair that got Papyrus to grin and move to the bed, laying down on it and pulling the ghost along _gently_ instead of _quickly_.

“heh, metta, hun… you got me wanting to kiss you a lot more… heh, and maybe not just _kiss_ ya... _mmmmh…_ ” Ghostly but solid lips met skeleton teeth again and their magic flared up, tendrils of Papyrus’ deep blue magic caressing Mettaton’s body and a veritable _cloud_ of light pink exuding from the ghost and sinking into the skeleton’s bones like a rain of sparkles, warming him through and through.

“ _P-papyrus… mmm… o-oh, ohhh…!_ ”, Mettablook groaned, shivering next to him, their body now flowing like cloth against Papyrus’ bones, every slightest touch of it clearly tangible. “I-I… t-this… all of this i-is so… new… a-and _e-enjoyable…_ a-and I want… w-what you said… but I… d-don’t k-know-” The blush, the looking away, the way their semitransparent form shivered: Papyrus realized that this beauty of a ghost, whether due to their shyness or due to some other reason, had never been in the position they were in now, and they were feeling out of their depth. So he did what any self-respecting guy would do and he grinned down at the ghost, wrapping his arm around their body and holding them close before speaking warmly to them.

“hey, no worries, metta… i’ll be slow, and i won’t do anything that’s not enjoyable, okay? and you can do… whatever you feel like doin’...” When Mettablook nodded hesitantly, Papyrus pressed his teeth slightly to the right of the ghost’s lips, nuzzling their cheek and feeling the heat of their blush before whispering to them: “...metta, babe, don’t worry about it, ‘kay? just… think of it as… rehearsing. it’s okay if it’s not perfect…”

“O-okay… b-but I… Papyrus, d-darl-darling… p-please, I _w-want_ it to be… p-pe-perfect… b-because _you_ a-are perfect…”, the ghost said hesitantly, and now Papyrus _had_ to kiss the ghost, and he _couldn’t help_ but be passionate, because not even Sans had ever called him perfect like it was self-evident. Mettablook kissed back just as happily, abandoning themself just as much as him, and for the longest while all that either of them felt was each other’s warmth and the press of one another’s body against their own, but then Mettablook, surprisingly, was the first to open their eyes again and speak. “Papyrus… I-I want… y-you to m-ma-maybe… k-kiss me s-someplace else, t-too…”

“oh, ‘s that so, metta? where exactly do you wanna be kissed?”, Papyrus asked teasingly, nuzzling the ghost’s cheek again, expecting a shy avoidant answer, but ‘avoidant’ was _definitely not_ the kind of answer he got.

“ _E-e-every...where…?_ ”

“oh, heh, _wow_ , metta… well, if you’re sure, then _i think i can handle that…_ ”, the skeleton said, bringing his hand up to the ghostly pseudo-hair that covered half of Mettablook’s face and brushing it aside to look in their eyes for a brief moment before nuzzling their cheek again, and then shimmying down on the bed a little while brushing both his magic, his teeth and his hands lower over their body. Mettablook didn’t have much to go on - their entire body save for their face was nondescript, just a formless spectral mass, and yet… And yet Papyrus felt like it still was worthy of exploration. A press of his teeth and his magic a hand’s length underneath the ghost’s face met with a gasp; when he moved a little more to the left side of the ghost, they groaned again hotly, wriggling in his grasp, and when he moved just an inch lower, towards the edge of their body, Mettablook _writhed_ and gasped out ‘oh _y-yessss P-papyrus…_ ” like he had never felt anything like that touch. All in all, it was little surprising that Papyrus’ soul glowed underneath his red hooded sweater, turning a large spot of it a shade of violet that fit in among the hot pink wonderfully well. It wasn’t alone, though: Mettablook’s soul was visible as well, like a little vibrant pink lightbulb in the sea of shimmering pastel of their body, pulsing rapidly due to the tension between them which mounted with each last touch and sigh they shared. “O-oh… _nnnnh… P-pa-papyrus…_ N-now… s-shouldn’t I, u-uhh… t-touch you too…?”, Mettablook asked breathily, looking down at him with such passionate fire in their eyes that Papyrus nodded before he even knew it. “O-okay, just… l-lay down…”, the ghost said, floating up and waiting for Papyrus to lay on his back, floating back down so their body only barely touched his, and then halting, once again hesitant. “U-uhm… m-maybe I should have… a-asked for you to t-take off your s-swe-sweater first…”

“metta, you’re a ghost, does it matter?”, Papyrus asked, prompting a blush without further explanation from the shy would-be television star for some reason. “heh, okay then… off it goes…”, he said, pulling the hoodie over his head and taking it off slowly, laying back down. For a moment, when his spine hit the cool sheet, he felt a little vulnerable - his soul, after all, was right there in his ribcage, open and exposed for anyone to see - but he reminded himself that not everyone _could_ see, that he was with Mettablook now and the little ghost would never allow harm to come to him, not with the way they clearly cared. “...well, here i am, metta, babe… _all yours to have fun with…_ ”

“P-papyrus, d-don’t… _ahhh… d-don’t say it like that… i-it feels so… mmm, s-so sinful…_ ”, the ghost groaned out, though they couldn’t keep themself from reaching their ghostly hand down to gently caress Papyrus’ jawbone and his neck vertebrae, prompting a shudder from the skeleton. The touch of their hand felt like warm, soft down, heating his bones slowly and making them feel like the gentle touch was all that kept them from falling to pieces. When Mettablook spoke again, Papyrus became aware that a moan had to have slipped past his guard. “...I-I’m… n-not hu-hurting you like this, a-am I?”

“ _hell no_ … metta, it feels… _damn good… oh, lord…_ you can touch lower too… m-my ribs, my shoulders…” ‘my soul’, he meant to add, but that’d probably be a little forward and the last thing he wanted was to spook the ghost - another pun, but this one barely even registered anymore, since Mettablook followed his suggestion and carefully touched a ghostly hand to his sternum, and the warmth seeping into the bones surrounding his soul was… overwhelming. “ _oh shiiiiiiiit… nnngh… m-metta, babe…_ ”

“O-oh… Papyrus, I k-kind of _like…_ t-the way you speak n-now… i-it’s… uhhhh… i-it’s v-very _exciting_ , d-darling…”, the ghost muttered, and Papyrus meant to speak when suddenly, the tiniest sparkles of Mettablook’s magic made their way between his ribs and hit his soul, and he arched his spine at the _surge_ of pleasure that flooded him.

“ _hnnnnnngh…! oh g-god, metta… ahhh… hahh…_ ”

“ _Mnnnn, P-papyrus… darling…_ ”, Mettablook moaned out, clearly enjoying it just as much as he had, and the next thing Papyrus knew, the little ghost swooped down and pressed their ghostly lips to his sternum, and then slowly kissed lower, to his ribs, while their spectral hands moved to his pelvis to trace the exposed ridges of his hipbones, and Papyrus moaned again, wriggling his hips a little to work his sweats down just a little, to allow the ghost to have more to work with, but then Mettablook started to _kiss_ the top of his hipbones and he decided that the sweats had to _go_ : kicking off his sneakers first, knocking over a little action figure of Napstaton that stood on a side-table in the corner, he pushed his pants off him as quickly as he could still manage now that Mettablook kissed the _inside_ of his pelvic bone.

“metta… ba-babe… _s-shit, you’re… ahhh!_ ” Coherence had never been Papyrus’ strong suit when he was off in the clouds, but these were _different_ clouds and his mental cohesion was already gone. “m-metta, we… we should… l-let me, please let me-”, he tried urgently, but Mettablook didn’t stop kissing and touching him, and in the end Papyrus grabbed hold of their slight body and pulled him closer, very decisively trailing his hand along the underside of Mettablook’s body, harvesting a distinct shiver from the ghost.

“ _P-papyrus- AHH!_ ” His hand suddenly sank into the spectre’s half-tangible body, which now felt like a liquidy, almost jelly-like substance flowing around his hand, but the monster’s soul was within reach and Papyrus couldn’t help but concentrate his magic around his hand and allowing it to snake its way to the pulsing center of the monster’s being. “ _O-ohh, ohhh y-yes… oh Papyyyyyyrus… p-please, darling, please, oh please, b-be gentle w-with me, love…_ ”, the ghost pleaded softly, sounding shy in that sultry, maddening way, and Papyrus was vaguely aware of their own glittering pink magic extending to his own soul, coiling around his bones like invisible ropes, but he couldn’t stop reaching to bridge that final _insufferable_ gap between them.

“P-papyrus… I… I…”

“i know, metta… _yeah, ohhh man… oh god-_ ”

“ _I l-lo-love you, Papyrus, I love you, oh yesssss… oh, OHH Y-YESSSSSS!_ ”, the ghost cried out, their soul moving towards Papyrus’ outstretched hand and the bright blue coil of his magic: without a single thought, the skeletal monster reciprocated the gesture and answered the confession with his own.

“ _metta, s-shiiiit, love ya too, ahhh y-ye-YEAHH…!_ ” When magic met soul, simultaneously on both sides, Papyrus threw his head back, his entire body shaking. Mettablook seemed to be _everywhere_ around him, like an infinite embrace, hot and warm at the same time. For the longest time, the universe seemed to contract around him into a tight pink ball of glitter, and all he could feel was the softest, warmest body pressed against his, warmth still dripping off his bones like an actual liquid.

Then, when he became aware of his surroundings again, he opened his eyes and noticed that there was _actual liquid_ dripping off his bones: a glittery, light pink substance that felt strangely tingly on his bones, like it was evaporating slowly off him. Not only that, but it was _everywhere_ : on the bedsheet, all over the pillows, even some stray droplets flecking the wall. The source of the liquid, naturally, wasn’t hard to discern: as Mettablook was still catching their breath, their body was still dripping at the bottom, shimmering like a lake in the light of the ceiling-crystals.

“uh… metta?”, he said, looking at the ghost to see them look up at him questioningly, then following his gaze down and finally, eyes widening, looking utterly shocked.

“O-oh n-n-no! I… t-this is _embarrassing!_ P-papyrus, oh, darling, p-please f-forgive me… I… t-this…”

“‘s this always happen when you get off?”, Papyrus asked, and the ghost looked away when answering.

“Y-y-yeeeeeees… I… t-think it’s… _g-gross_ … I’m so s-sorry, Papyrus… it’s j-just e-ectoplasm, it c-cleans off e-easily… _oh noooooo.... h-how-_ ” Before the ghost could freak out any further, Papyrus spoke up gently, lifting Mettablook so they were once again eye to eye.

“metta, babe… it’s okay. heh, if it’s ectoplasm, it’ll disappear again without a trace, no? ...and i don’t think it’s gross. i think it’s… _cute_ , actually.”

“C-cute?”, the spectral monster asked, their pink blush subsiding a little to a more subdued hue of pink, and Papyrus nodded.

“yeah, cute. hey, you liked me so much you just _couldn’t contain yourself_! babe… as your agent, and your _bonefriend_ …”, he said, prompting a gasp from the ghost that he’d already anticipated, “...i’m tellin’ you, metta, it’s not a big deal.”

“O-oh, Papyrus, _I love you s-so much…_ A-and I m-mean that.”

“‘course ya mean it, mettablook, man - and i love you too. ectoplasm, shy stammer and everything.” He nuzzled Mettablook’s cheek again, tenderly and softly this time, and the ghost sighed happily before kissing his cheekbone lightly.

“I p-promise… y-you won’t be d-disappointed in m-me, Papyrus! I’ll t-try my ha-hardest to be a s-star!!”, he said, causing the skeleton to chuckle.

“heh, just be _you_ , metta. you’re awesome, and anyone that doesn’t see that ‘s a blind idiot, okay? ‘s a matter of fact-” Just when he meant to say that he thought they should practice a little more, his cellphone started blaring that horrible song that Sans insisted on downloading on it once and that Papyrus had subsequently set as his ringtone for when his brother called him. Clearing his throat, he dug his cellphone out of the pocket of his hoodie a second too late.

“I-is that… oh, n-no, did I… y-you were… you s-said your b-brother-”, Mettablook stammered, only for Papyrus to pat the ghost on the head warmly.

“hey, no worries, metta. sans just… he’s a bit protective of his ‘baby bro’, even if his baby bro can take care of himself perfectly well, heh…” He waited for a second, feeling the cellphone bleep to indicate he had a voicemail message, which _obviously_ was his brother.

“PAPPY, YOU’RE NOT AT MISS MUFFET’S CAFE AND I AM GETTING A LITTLE WORRIED NOW! PLEASE COME HOME, I’VE MADE US BOTH TACOS, AND I HAVE A BIG SURPRISE WAITING FOR YOU AT THE HOUSE!! MWEHEHEHE!!” The enthusiasm of his brother was, as usually, _skyrocketing_ again, prompting a proud grin from the skeletal monster before eliciting a sigh from him.

“...yeah, uh, metta, i… should head home now…”

“I understand… u-uhm… P-papyrus, you… w-when you o-offered to be m-my agent, you… c-can you still-”

“relax, metta, didn’t i just say i’m your _bonefriend_ now, babe?”, Papyrus offered, pulling the ghost against himself again before nuzzling their cheek very lightly. “...heh, thought so. ...hey, why don’t you come over with me to my house? i’d love to treat you to dinner - hah, and what better way to treat ya than by inviting you over and feeding you from the same plate i eat from?”, he offered, and Mettablook blushed softly.

“O-okay, I h-ha-have to adm-m-mit, I look forward a li-little to meet your b-brother… Oh, what s-should I wear…?” As Mettablook floated over to a small closet off to the side, which contained nothing at all but which seemed to prompt the ghost to alter themselves in a certain way via their magic so their body vaguely resembled wearing clothing on the outside, Papyrus couldn’t help but look them over appreciatively, speaking softly to himself and half expecting Mettablook not to hear it.

“...wow, you’re stunning, metta… a real _babe..._ ”

“O-oh…! P-papyrus… I… y-you really t-think I look… s-stunning…?”, they asked, and Papyrus nodded, grinning broadly.

“you look like all a skeleton could ask for, mettablook, an’ a whole lot more. ‘s it okay if i text my bro, sayin’ we’ll be there in ‘bout half an hour?”

“Y-yes!”, Mettablook answered decisively and happily, prompting a warm chuckle from Papyrus as he texted his brother.

 

“PAPPY! PAPPY, LOOK!! I, THE MAGNIFICENT SANS, HAVE FINALLY FULFILLED MY WISH!” As usual, his brother recognized his footsteps and came rushing out of the house eagerly. This time, though, he wasn’t alone: trailing him was a brightly smiling human in a green-and-yellow striped shirt. A _familiar_ human at that - he’d seen them earlier that day, he remembered, walking away from the closed door to the Ruins. “THEIR NAME IS CHARA! AT FIRST, I CAPTURED THEM TO HAND OVER TO ALPHYS, BUT THEN THEY COMPLIMENTED ME AND… WELL, I _AM_ A SKELETON WITH STANDARDS, MWEHEHE… SO INSTEAD OF ME CAPTURING THEM, WE BECAME FRIENDS! Y-YES, TOTALLY PLATONIC FRIENDS!! AREN’T YOU PROUD OF ME NOW, BROTHER?!” Papyrus paused for a second, looking the kid over, but he could see no issue with them. Indeed, their hazel-brown eyes were a little reddish, probably because they’d fallen into the underground only recently, but that was about all that looked off about the child: they smiled sweetly and then bounded over to him for a hug wordlessly.

“heheh, okay then, nice to meet ya. name’s papyrus. did ya tell him you just wanna go home yet?”, he asked, and the human child nodded, which seamlessly tied in with Sans’ next words.

“I PROMISED CHARA I’D HELP THEM MAKE IT HOME AGAIN, BROTHER! THEY’LL GO TO WATERFALL IN THE MORNING!”

“you sure? alphys patrols there every morning…”, Papyrus said with a smile, looking behind him to see Mettablook blush and turn a little less transparent - the ghost was trying hard to battle their shyness and meet his big bro, he could tell, and it wasn’t like Sans was in a receptive state to be introduced to them just yet either.

“I WILL DISTRACT ALPHYS VERY CUNNINGLY WITH MY DAILY REPORT ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES IN SNOWDIN FOREST! I- BROTHER, WHY ARE YOU LOOKING THERE? WHO…?” Mettablook gasped and turned transparent again, but now that his brother had finally noticed the slight pink ghost, whose blush was still visible, sparkling off the snow, Papyrus thought it was time to help them a little in powering through the awkward moment.

“oh no ya don’t, no hiding… c’mon… for me?”, he asked, extending his hand; Mettablook put their ghostly little hand in his and turned opaque again, startling Sans for a split second.

“OH! ...OH, IT’S JUST A GHOST-MONSTER, WHEW… S-SO THIS IS THE GUEST YOU SAID YOU’D BRING, BROTHER?”, he asked, looking a little confused. Papyrus nodded and pulled Mettablook next to him gently, wrapping his arm around them lovingly, setting a nice dark pink blush off on their ethereal cheeks, which even extended into their pseudo-hair.

“yep… sans, chara, meet mettablook, my little _ghostfriend_.”

“G-GHOSTFRIEND?! BROTHER, DO YOU MEAN… YOU AND THIS METTABLOOK ARE… I-IN LOVE?”

“...yeah, sans, we’re in love.”, Papyrus said - for a second, he expected Sans to have a complete tantrum about it, but then he nodded decisively and turned to Mettablook.

“METTABLOOK!! AS PAPYRUS’ BIG BROTHER, I FEEL IT MY DUTY TO TELL YOU TO TAKE _VERY GOOD CARE_ OF MY BROTHER’S SOFT HEART!! IF YOU DO ANYTHING TO HURT HIM, YOU WILL BE SORRY! VERY SORRY INDEED!”

“ _sansy-_ ”, Papyrus started, only for Mettablook to cut across him, speaking softly and with the usual amount of shy stutters, but at the same time with warmth and an amount of decisiveness equal to Sans’.

“I k-know that h-hi-his heart’s so-soft… and I’ll t-take very very g-good care o-of P-papyrus, a-as he takes good c-care of _me_ … A-and I lo-love him, v-very much…”

“THEN IT’S ALL OKAY WITH ME! NOW COME ALONG INSIDE, BROTHER, METTABLOOK - THE TACOS WILL BE DONE BY NOW!!” Sans marched himself and Chara inside, and Papyrus and Mettablook followed with a broad smile, hand in hand.

 

**Author's Note:**

> The official Underswap tumblr is http://underswapped.tumblr.com so check it out :)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more Underswap sin!


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